Exclusion from social relations in later life: Micro-and macro-level patterns and correlations in a european perspective

Thomas Hansen; Marcela Petrová Kafková; Ruth Katz; Ariela Lowenstein; Sigal Naim; George Pavlidis; Feliciano Villar; Kieran Walsh; Marja Aartsen

doi:10.3390/ijerph182312418

Exclusion from social relations in later life: Micro-and macro-level patterns and correlations in a european perspective

Thomas Hansen, Marcela Petrová Kafková, Ruth Katz, Ariela Lowenstein, Sigal Naim, George Pavlidis, Feliciano Villar, Kieran Walsh, Marja Aartsen

Department of Gerontology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Older adults face particular risks of exclusion from social relationships (ESR) and are especially vulnerable to its consequences. However, research so far has been limited to specific dimensions, countries, and time points. In this paper, we examine the prevalence and micro-and macro-level predictors of ESR among older adults (60+) using two waves of data obtained four years apart across 14 European countries in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). We consider four ESR indicators (household composition, social networks, social opportunities, and loneliness) and link them to micro-level (age, gender, socioeconomic factors, health, and family responsibilities) and national macro-level factors (social expenditures, unmet health needs, individualism, social trust, and institutional trust). Findings reveal a northwest to southeast gradient, with the lowest rates of ESR in the stronger welfare states of Northwest Europe. The high rates of ESR in the southeast are especially pronounced among women. Predictably, higher age and fewer personal resources (socioeconomic factors and health) increase the risk of all ESR dimensions for both genders. Macro-level factors show significant associations with ESR beyond the effect of micro-level factors, suggesting that national policies and cultural and structural characteristics may play a role in fostering sociability and connectivity and, thus, reduce the risk of ESR in later life.

Original language	English
Article number	12418
Journal	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume	18
Issue number	23
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312418
State	Published - 25 Nov 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Funding: GENPATH is part of the GENDER-NET Plus ERANET COFUND project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N° 741874. The national teams have been supported by following grants: Austria (FWF I4210/GNP187), Czechia (TAČR ZÉTA TJ03000002), Israel (Ministry of Science, Technology and Space N° 3-15667), Ireland (GNP-187), Norway (NFR 299859), Spain (PCI2019-103627), Sweden (Vetenskapsrådet 2018-00929). Support also comes from the Norwegian Research Council through the research project “Eurocare” (grant no. 327659).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Keywords

Europe
Gender
Older adults
SHARE data
Social exclusion
Social relationships

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pollution
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.3390/ijerph182312418

Cite this

Hansen, T., Kafková, M. P., Katz, R., Lowenstein, A., Naim, S., Pavlidis, G., Villar, F., Walsh, K., & Aartsen, M. (2021). Exclusion from social relations in later life: Micro-and macro-level patterns and correlations in a european perspective. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(23), Article 12418. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312418

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AU - Lowenstein, Ariela

AU - Naim, Sigal

AU - Pavlidis, George

AU - Villar, Feliciano

AU - Walsh, Kieran

AU - Aartsen, Marja

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Exclusion from social relations in later life: Micro-and macro-level patterns and correlations in a european perspective

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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